Newbie to a pool - Frog user

[Kathy3232]

Thread moved by moderator MikeinTN to a more suitable forum

Ok, we are newbies to owning a pool (bought a house with one). And it wasn't until now that I see the Frog is not recommended by you all. We bought a bunch of cartridges since they were on sale, plus another discount for buying bulk.

So what should I do? Is is really that bad to use? Should I try to take back the other cartridges we haven't used? Take out the one we are using? I'm ticked at myself for getting talked into it.

What's it's really doing to my pool?

**I don't have chem. reading right now. Waiting on my test kit to come. Did get a sample at pool store today, but they couldn't print out numbers for me. I do know my chlorine was 9.9 after shocking once yesterday. Could it still be that high because of the frog?

 

[duraleigh]

Welcome to the forum! :lol:

Froggie's biggest issue is he puts copper in your water. Copper is very difficult to get out of your pool and can cause a host of issues once it gets too high. (It will get too high, Froggy doesn't know when to stop.)

Bite the bullet and take back what you can. Sanitize your pool with the safest most effective sanitizer there is.....chlorine.

 

[JasonLion]

There are really two parts to the Pool Frog system. The mineral packs, which duraleigh was talking about, and the BaqPac, which contain trichlor.

Trichlor constantly adds CYA to your water. Eventually, the CYA level gets too high and you start having problems. Chlorine is less effective when the CYA level is high.

 

[Kathy3232]

So, since we already have copper in our fill water (tested that at store today) then the frog really isn't good for us, huh? Ugh, I'm so mad at wasting the money on that thing.

 

[MikeInTN]

No, it's really not, for the reasons stated by duraleigh and Jason.

If you have copper in your fill water, you'll want to address that too, because it'll cause problems just like the copper in the frog. A good sequestrant should fix you right up.

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

Hi there,

I would try to return the bac-pacs, I assume that's what you bought multiples of. See if they'll give you a store credit.

Then open up the Frog cannister and take the blue mineral cartridge out and throw it away. Set the dial to "max" and leave it empty.

Start using bleach, post a full set of test results when you can, and read Pool School, if you haven't already.

You won't regret not using the Frog. TRUST me!

Welcome to TFP!

 

[Kathy3232]

Thanks everyone. Yes, I now know to take care of the metals with sequestrant. I put more of that in yesterday and will continue to do so as maintanence. I also put a conditioner in and it helped quite a bit overnight. I could see the bottom of the pool from my upstairs window this morning! The green color is also going away.

I think I'm going to pick up a test kit today at Walmart while I wait on my Taylor. I'm anxious to know what the levels are.

My sister just bought a new pool from the same store and the frog came with her package. They haven't installed it yet (just set up pool yesterday). She too lives in the country with a well so I've been telling her what I've found out here and referred her to this site.

Thank you all so much for your help. I'm sure I'll be back.
Kathy

 

[duraleigh]

So, since we already have copper in our fill water (tested that at store today)

I seem to remember that copper does not naturally occur in water. It has to be put there somehow (froggy, etc.). I think I would have that tested elsewhere.

 

[Kathy3232]

Well it's coming directly from the hose, so I don't know what else would be putting it there but nature.

 

[reebok]

I think he's saying the store is testing incorrectly. but copper can be found in water naturally.

 

[duraleigh]

I am suggesting testing error. I think copper does not occur in water naturally.

From Ben Powell (the guy who taught us all this)

With very few exceptions, there will be no copper in your water, unless you added it, or unless you corroded it off of a pool heater. So, to check for copper, check your chemical product labels. (NOTE: you are actually going to have to READ the fine print on the chemical ingredients, to check this.) If you haven't added anything that has copper in it, and don't have a heater, you probably don't have copper.

Iron is common is well water. If you have it, you probably already know that. If you have a softener, it will also remove the iron from the water . . . and you should fill your pool with that. Removing iron from an AG pool with a sand filter is not the easiest thing in the world. The sand filters are almost always 'over driven' (ie, the pump's way too big for the filter) and the precipitated (orange rust dust) is blown right on through the filter. Of course, if you do refill with softened water, you'll most likely need to be prepared to regenerate your softener several times.

 

[Kathy3232]

Ok, so how would I have added copper to the water in my well? I'm so new to this I just don't understand.

Or are you saying we probably DON'T have copper, and the store tested incorrectly and said we did? Maybe that's it. I'll try to take it somewhere else and get it tested soon.

 

[duraleigh]

Or are you saying we probably DON'T have copper, and the store tested incorrectly and said we did? Maybe that's it. I'll try to take it somewhere else and get it tested soon.

Yes, I suggest getting another test. I dont think you have copper.